Feb 13

Feb 13 Running the Molló Trail Ultramarathon in the Pyrenees Mountains - Molló, Spain

My first ultrarunning race in Europe is still in operation, the Molló Trail 44 km. They hold the race on the border of France and Spain, starting at the town of Molló, Spain. Molló is in the northeast corner of Spain, known as Catalonia. One thing I found out quickly is that English is not spoken by many in the area, but three other languages are. French, Spanish and Catalan. The woman running the hotel spoke English, but no one at the restaurant or race did (organizers, runners or volunteers). The language barrier wasn’t too much of an issue except for when they were re-routing the course due to weather, and luckily one runner was able to tell me since they diverted a part of the course because of the rough weather at the peak of the final mountain.

My trip started by flying into Barcelona, Spain, renting a car, and then heading north for the two-hour trip to Molló. Definitely plan to take your time on the drive as there are several cities along the way to stop and tour. Each town has a large church and town square, and there were open-air markets and cafes that I stopped at to eat and tour. Molló itself is a very small town, with a single narrow city street with residences and small shops on the ground floor. I had some time to stroll the quiet streets and pick up some snacks for the run.

Being my first time in Spain, I didn’t realize that the custom is to eat so late. It was important to make a reservation when checking into the hotel as well, since they prepare the food before you get to the dining room. I ate around 8:30pm, but it was just me and one other couple from America. It was much more busy after dinner as I headed to my room for an early night since the race was starting early in the morning.

The Molló Trail Ultramarathon is a loop course starting and ending in Molló, just steps from the hotel. I tried to talk to some runners, but none of them spoke English as I noted. I was a little worried when the race started since everyone took off at a near dead sprint. I’ve never seen such a thing at an ultramarathon in the US. I believe the reason was because the first couple miles are very narrow single track where there is no passing. The top runners wanted to get to that portion first, but I don’t know why the entire field took off at a sprint. The course itself is excellent single track, cattle trail and dirt/gravel roads. The trail winds through a few small towns too, breaking up the scenery. One town being especially unique because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a road so steep. The slippery street was very tough to get up because of the rain. Because of the rain, I also took a hard fall, coming off a bridge and slamming onto the pavement.

The most memorable moment of the race was crossing the ridge-line of several mountains as a storm was rolling in. At one point I experienced high winds, hail, and sunlight all at the same time as I turned around 360 degrees. The mountain trails, high pastures, and diversity of terrain make for one of my favorite races.

This race is a great opportunity to experience an ultrarrun in Spain and see part of the Pyrenees Mountains. It is also exceptionally easy logistically just being 2 hours north of Barcelona. I highly recommend the Calitxo Hotel for your stay. Even if not for the race, you can make your own ultrarunning destination in Molló, Spain on the extensive trails in the region. Enjoy!